The loss of business due to Covid-19 has changed retail mindsets towards the Internet, according to the boss of the world's biggest bed company.

Worldwide order intake in April fell 55 percent according to Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding manufacturer, with the second half of the month improving on the first.

Keen & Able, the specialist white-glove home delivery company, is resuming operations with an initial focus on supporting customers to unwind their existing order books.

Foam conglomerate Recticel reported lower first quarter sales after its plants and customers worldwide were laid low by the impact of Covid-19.

The future of Breasley, the East Midlands mattress maker and foam converter, could be resolved as early as next week as a sale process and restructure nears its conclusion.

The Foam Company — the Oxfordshire mattress maker which has produced goods for well-known brands including Mammoth and Sleepshaper, says it has been supporting the NHS to help limit the impact of the coronavirus.

Bed-in-a-box brand Casper Sleep says it will close its European operations to save costs and focus on its core markets in North America.

Savoir Beds, the high-end London based bed maker, says it has been able to continue manufacturing and delivering to customers' homes throughout the lockdown period.

Adova Group, parent to storied Kent bed manufacturer Sleepeezee, has named its new chief executive following the departure of Jacques Schaffnit, who had run the business since 2017.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has published new guidelines aimed at improving testing quality and consistency for mattress makers, and the laboratories that test their products.

FIRA International, the Stevenage based testing and furniture services provider, has been supporting the new NHS Nightingale hospitals with free product testing for a key medical mattress supplier.

Creditors of a circa £6 million turnover North West bedding supplier face a seven-figure shortfall after it ceased trading earlier this year.

Foam and sprung mattress imports into the U.K. declined for the fifth consecutive month in February, new Government figures show.

Recticel, the Belgian foam conglomerate and major supplier to U.K. sofa and bed manufacturers, has agreed to sell its 50 percent stake in Eurofoam.

U.K. mattress factories along with suppliers to the bed trade have pivoted production towards supporting the effort to confront the coronavirus pandemic, says the National Bed Federation (NBF).

Revenue jumped by well over a third for the business unit housing the Millbrook Beds business last year, lifting earnings for the company.

The National Bed Federation (NBF), the bed industry trade association, is offering housebound bed store workers free training during the coronavirus pandemic.

James Sturrock is to step down as chief executive at Eve Sleep, the direct-to-consumer mattress and ancillary products brand, to take up a new post outside the company.

A private investment group already with skin-in-the-game in the mattress sector has acquired a 50.1 percent stake in direct-to-consumer beds business Emma - The Sleep Company.

Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Emma says it near doubled sales in the U.K. in the first three months of the year, adding that it continued unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Chief marketing officer Tony Holdway and director of retail Paul Owen will depart national beds specialist Dreams, its CEO has told Retail Week, a trade newspaper.

Bed manufacturers and their customers can access up-to-date advice on support packages available to them via a newly-created Coronavirus Hub put together by the National Bed Federation (NBF).

More than 90 years of history and heritage has been salvaged after a U.S. bed-industry investor acquired North West mattress maker Burgess out of administration.

Diversified manufacturer GNG Group says it is working around the clock to meet demand within its healthcare unit with the company having been awarded Key Supplier Status by the National Health Service (NHS).

British bed and mattress vertical The Original Bed Co. is to launch into mainland Europe with the introduction of a dedicated German sales channel.

The Swedish beds manufacturing conglomerate that lists British bedroom chain Feather & Black among its interests has re-platformed some of its manufacturing operations to help battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Eve Sleep has doubled the length of time consumers have to return products free-of-charge to over six months.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) and the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) are working together to provide clarity to industry over the support package available to businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sleep Council, the organisation that raises awareness of the importance of sleep and choosing the right mattress, has issued advice to families as they adjust to spending more time at home.

James Keen will this spring become the new chief executive officer at privately-owned bed manufacturer Hypnos, succeeding Stephen Ward who is retiring after 13 years in the role. His appointment was announced as 2018–19 figures became available.

The manufacturer of Dunlopillo branded mattresses in France has a new owner after the Paris Commercial Court approved its sale following an insolvency process.

Direct-to-consumer mattress brand ensures "adequate coverage for the coming months."

Bed maker Harrison Spinks has planted 90 trees at a local primary school near its Leeds HQ and has committed to plant even more at the beginning of the new season later this year.

Four in five online shoppers bought beds without having tested the mattress in a store before purchasing according to new research commissioned by the National Bed Federation (NBF).

South East beds retailer Vic Smith Bedding says its won't repeat a newspaper advert that prompted complaints, insisting it had no intent to offend its multi-cultural customer base.

Carpe Diem Beds, the premium Swedish mattress manufacturer, last week opened its first U.K. retail showroom as it looks to expand its international reach.

Two of the U.K.'s leading organisations that champion good sleep yesterday launched the 'Wake Up Call' manifesto at Westminster in a bid to get the Government to push sleep higher up the public health agenda.

Sales of foam used in the production of mattresses and upholstery fell sharply for industrial giant Recticel last year on weaker volumes and selling price erosion.

The Sleep Council, the bed industry funded body that has been highlighting the importance of sleep for the past 25 years, has rebranded and updated its core vision after achieving its early aims.

Asset realisation specialists have been hired to sell off machinery and other assets of a North West bedding company that filed for insolvency earlier this month.

Swedish beds conglomerate Hilding Anders is in advanced talks to divest its U.K. retail operation Feather & Black according to Sky News.

The German business behind the Emma direct-to-consumer mattress business wants to acquire the Dunlopillo brand rights in France after its current owner was placed into an insolvency process late last year.

Profits almost doubled at online beds retailer MattressOnline last year as the company returned to top line growth and achieved wider margins.

Adjustable beds and upholstery producer Furmanac has refinanced, agreeing a new loan that will lower its overall borrowing costs.

High-end German bed maker Ruf Betten has acquired the company behind ecommerce mattress-in-a-box brand Bruno Sleep.

Sussex Beds will take store numbers into double figures with the opening of its tenth store next month.

Tempur Sealy International said worldwide sales climbed in the fourth quarter of 2019 as its direct channel countered flat wholesale revenues.

Foam and sprung mattress imports fell for the first time in seven years in 2019 after a third straight monthly decline in December.

Sleepeezee has announced Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Olympic and three-time world champion heptathlete, as its brand ambassador.

The company behind the mattress brand Mlily said profits almost doubled last year as it grew sales and benefited from input cost tailwinds.

Casper Sleep has priced its shares at $12–$13 ahead of its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange later today (Feb. 6), valuing the business up to a third less than just a week ago.

Mattress manufacturers across North America will be able to buy Harrison Spinks' new 100% recyclable glue‐free pocket spring system after the Leeds company extended its agreement with its joint venture partner HSM.

Silentnight, the U.K.'s biggest bed manufacturer, will this spring add a fifth brand showroom while it has engaged a former Sealy executive to explore options for taking its flagship brand to the U.S.

The sale of Sherwood Bedding to Tempur Sealy International closes another chapter in the history of Steinhoff International Holdings, and its ties with the global furniture trade.

Mattress retailer and wholesaler Casper Sleep said it expects to raise up to $182.4 million (£140m) from its initial public offering. It follows the filing of its IPO prospectus earlier this month.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding company, has acquired a majority stake in Sherwood Bedding, one of the largest bed manufacturers in the U.S. and formerly owned by Steinhoff, for $40 million (£31m).

Direct-to-consumer mattress company Emma Sleep says worldwide sales near-doubled to €150 million in 2019 with the company making money at the operating line for the second straight year.

Direct-to-consumer and wholesale mattress brand Eve Sleep says it will book a smaller deficit for 2019 after it made headway in its plan to transition to profit on a revised business model.

A sharp drop in foam and sprung mattress imports in November pushed the year-to-date total negative, threatening a first full-year decline in the value of foreign-made goods in seven years.

Mattress brand Casper Sleep has filed the paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S., with it to sell shares in the business to raise cash for growth, working capital and debt pay-down.

Revenue declined for a second straight year at Burnley bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams in 2018–19 but wider gross margin helped limit the impact on profits.

Britain's leading bed manufacturers shifted more product in the later months of 2019 but a fall in average order values held back the value of sales growth.

Stuart Hibbert, who co-founded and ran Breasley Consumer until selling his shares in 2017, is to return to the bed industry with GNG Group Yorkshire.

Bensons for Beds has expanded its range of products exclusively designed by Sir Terence Conran, adding what it calls a luxury hotel-style bedframe to its existing offer.

Mattress wholesaler and retailer Simba Sleep has procured new investment by way of U.S. private equity company Cartesian Capital, with it planning to use the cash injection to expand internationally.

The National Bed Federation (NBF), the industry trade association representing the bulk of the U.K.'s leading bed manufacturers, has unveiled its new brand identity.

Bed specialist Dreams ended 2019 with a flurry of store openings, adding five new shops and relocating another as it expanded its retail estate.

Mattress brand Dunlopillo faces an uncertain future in France after the manufacturer behind the company in the local market was placed into an insolvency process.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has agreed a three-year research partnership with circular economy experts Zero Waste Scotland. It aims to increase mattress recycling and encourage more sustainable design.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding manufacturer, has promoted three senior executive to key roles impacting its business across the U.S.

National bed specialist Bensons for Beds has named sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock as its new official sleep expert, saying she will become an integral part of the brand's plans next year.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding producer, is to donate 100,000 shares in the business in what it described as the "largest single charitable contribution in the company's history."

U.K. mattress makers collectively grew exports for the first time in eight months in October despite continued weak trade with E.U. countries.

Black Friday mattress sales jumped 80 percent year-on-year for direct-to-consumer bed brand Emma, with the Frankfurt-headquartered company saying it made a sale every eight seconds during peak hours.

Pan-European mattress retailer and distributor Beter Bed Holding has a new chief financial officer after the current incumbent, Hugo van den Ochtend, was released from his duties and responsibilities.

Mattress specialist Kaymed was a winner at the annual awards ceremony of major retailer Harvey Norman earlier this month, gaining success in two categories.

Former employees at the former Monomarket regional retail chain in the North East — which ran four prominent bed stores and the MrMattress online shop — have launched a new beds retail business.

Beter Bed Holding, the Dutch holding company that runs mattress retailers across Europe, has raised more cash to repay bank debt after completing another property sale-and-leaseback deal.

Dewsbury manufacturer Shire Beds created and donated a Leeds Rhinos branded bed for The Big Sleep 2019, helping raise thousands for good causes.

Mattress retailer and wholesaler Casper Sleep has made a number of senior hires including the appointment of a former Wayfair executive to the role of chief technology officer.

Record sales and a higher international profile have spurred greater interest from potential suitors in Savoir, the high-end British bed maker whose products retail for an average of £25,000 each.

The sale to Asian investors of Matratzen Concord, the circa 850-store beds retailer with shops across Central Europe, has moved a step closer after incumbent shareholders backed the deal.

West Yorkshire mattress maker Shire Beds has achieved ISO 9001: 2015, the worldwide recognised certification that recognises consistency of manufacturing operations and processes.

Ernst & Young (EY) has completed its work on one of the biggest insolvencies in the furniture trade of the past decade, divvying up the last proceeds from asset realisations to outstanding creditors.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding company, has appointed IMG as its global licensing representative as it looks to secure lucrative deals to take its brands into new product categories.

The insolvency of Monomarket, the North East company that ran a number of regional bedding centres and a prominent online store selling beds, leaves creditors facing a high six-figure shortfall, according to a new report.

Foam and sprung mattress imports into the U.K. ended the third quarter on a high after increases from Poland and China, the two largest sources of foreign-made products sold here.

Spring maker Leggett & Platt, one of the biggest suppliers to the British bed manufacturing sector, booked lower profits in the U.K. after higher input costs combined with lower output.

Lawyers acting on behalf of premium British bed manufacturers Savoir and Vispring have shared correspondence, with the former frustrated with the latter over the naming of the models in a recently-introduced product line.

H Partners, the activist investment company that campaigned successfully for management change at Tempur Sealy International four years ago, has reduced its stake in the business.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding producer, said the past quarter was its best ever as it delivered double-digit top and bottom line growth.

The CEO of Tempur Sealy International told analysts on its Q3 earnings call that rival Casper Sleep, said to be exploring an IPO, is less relevant to the company than other competitors.

The top and bottom lines diverged for the owner of motion bed and chair specialist Adjustamatic in the year to December 31, 2018.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding manufacturer, has refinanced $850 million (£661m) of revolving and term debt in a move it says lowers its borrowing costs.

Discount and entry-level mattress vendors made the most of consumers trading down in the six months to September according to new research carried out on behalf of the National Bed Federation (NBF).

Five-store mattress retailer restructured via a prepack after losses at two of its stores prompted need to withdraw from leases, says administrator.

Wayne Nortjé has joined privately-owned bed manufacturer Breasley as operations director, with responsibility for both its East Midlands sites.

Beter Beheer, a subsidiary of Dutch bed retail group Beter Bed Holding, has agreed a sale-and-leaseback of its 783,000sqft distribution centre and headquarters at Uden, Holland.

Resurgent bed maker and retailer Warren Evans has begun manufacturing a range of wooden bed frames, expanding on the new mattress line introduced when the brand relaunched earlier this year.

Casper updates on U.K. financial performance amid speculation of stock market float in the U.S. to support planned physical store expansion.

Monomarket, the privately-owned company behind one of the largest regional mattress and beds chains in the U.K. and a significant ecommerce website, has been placed into liquidation.

Privately-owned southeast England retailer Sussex Beds is expanding to the north and east of its existing store base with its latest new showroom, slated to open next month.

Swedish beds conglomerate Hilding Anders has appointed Henrik Sjögren as its new chief executive, succeeding incumbent CEO and chairman Pepyn Dinandt.

Mattress and upholstery group Airsprung says its performance has picked up since April, putting it on track to reverse widening losses incurred in 2018–19.

Silentnight, the U.K.'s largest bed manufacturer, has launched its autumn marketing campaign and the first since appointing a new lead agency.

Latexco says the acquisition of a 7.5 hectare site near its existing plants in Belgium can aid its transition from a traditional latex supplier into a 'one stop shop of comfort.'

Profits doubled for the U.K. arm of global foam manufacturer and converter Carpenter in 2018, lifted by a "slight softening in some raw material costs" and higher sales.

Accumulated losses at Simba Sleep reached nearly £75 million by the end of 2018, just-filed accounts from the mattress-in-a-box and sleep accessories company reveal.

Mattress imports into the U.K. declined in August on weaker figures from Poland, Ireland and Italy, new figures show.

Creditors due to get £2 million over five-year CVA term, but could receive more dependent on profits.

The Chinese manufacturer behind the Mlily mattress brand has agreed to buy a California headquartered furniture chain with 36 stores across the U.S.

AdamHenson
Adam Henson is arguably the country's best-known farmer.
Leeds bed maker Harrison Spinks has launched a bed range in partnership with TV presenter and farmer Adam Henson, championing rare-breed Cotswold wool.

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Sebastian Mertes, Emma's new CFO. Photograph: www.tw-klein.com.
The German company behind the Emma mattress brand has appointed a former investment professional at British private equity company Permira as its new chief financial officer.

Broadcasters and national newspapers carried coverage of Sleeptember, the annual Sleep Council campaign to raise the profile of sleep among consumers to the benefit of the bed industry.

Britain's bed makers sold as many products in the second quarter of 2019 as they had the previous year but the value of those sales declined, according to the National Bed Federation (NBF).

Warren Evans has opened its first showroom since the brand was resurrected as an ecommerce business by its eponymous founder earlier this year.

Mattress maker Duflex, supplier to retailers such as IKEA, Eve, Asda and Argos, posted lower sales for the first time on public record last year. Group bed sales still advanced after parent Belfield opened a second factory.

VispringJMarshall
The company claimed the Bed of the Year award at the Bed Show 2019 for its new J. Marshall by Vispring range, which pitches the brand to a younger clientele.
Manufacturing efficiencies and exports helped offset weaker domestic U.K. sales last year at Vispring, the luxury Devon bed manufacturer.

Direct-to-consumer mattress and ancillary products brand Eve Sleep narrowed losses in the first half of 2019 after cutting the amount of money it spent on marketing. Sales declined.

High-end bed maker Hypnos has bolstered its ethical credentials by partnering Red Tractor Food and Farming Standards, an industry-first for the mattress sector.

highgroveFW2019
15 years ago, Highgrove sales were under £1m. Today it is one of the U.K.'s largest bed manufacturers.
West Yorkshire bed maker Highgrove posted a 15th straight top line rise in 2018 despite tough trading conditions. Underlying profits also climbed with statutory earnings down because of one-off expenses.

Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Eve Sleep says merger talks with Simba Sleep have ended with now "not the right time" to pursue a potential deal.

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Casper invested millions more in the U.K. and mainland European markets last year.
Last year saw another hefty investment in the British and European markets by direct-to-consumer mattress brand Casper, new figures indicate.

Profits climbed four-fold for the company behind the Vitafoam brand last year as it grew sales and annualised against high one-off expenses.

dormeoFW
Dormeo sells direct to the consumer and through third-party retailers.
Sales jumped 58 percent for the U.K. arm of European mattress brand Dormeo in 2018 as the company shrugged off wider concerns over the economy.

Dreams retained its Bed Retailer of the Year crown at the Bed Industry Awards last night with Internet retailer MattressOnline and independent Linthorpe Beds also claiming wins in the other retail categories.

Vispring's pitch to a younger customer base was rewarded with it winning the Bed of the Year category of the NBF's Bed Industry Awards last night. Harrison Spinks and Vitafoam also won supplier awards.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has suspended the membership of Dura Beds after the West Yorkshire manufacturer failed its Code of Practice audit. The company is appealing the decision.

Containers of China-made mattresses led the way as bed imports into the U.K. returned to growth in July, according to new Government figures.

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Left–right: Managing director Simon Spinks and chairman Peter Spinks of Harrison Spinks with Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson.
Leeds bed maker Harrison Spinks hosted the Queen’s representative in West Yorkshire to its headquarters to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development.

The Sleep Council — which raises awareness of the importance of sleep on behalf of the U.K. bed industry — has joined forces with Penguin Random House to develop a range of 10 ‘Sleep Tales’ that have been designed to help people relax before they go to bed.

The National Bed Federation has named the finalists for its 2019 Bed Industry Awards across the retail and manufacturing categories with the winners to be named later this month.

tempurFW
New product lines proved a winner for Tempur.
Memory foam pioneer Tempur outgunned the wider mattress market in the U.K. in 2018 after new products launched in the previous year gained traction with customers.

Two major European foam companies are in dispute after one accused the other of overstepping the mark in the region where the pair have operated a joint venture since the 1990s.

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Hush-a-Bye is becoming hushabye (new logo, inset). Its new edj mattress is pictured.
Bed business Hush-a-Bye is rebranding as hushabye with a refreshed identity that better reflects the brand's "tone of voice" according to Nick Gigg, md at the Airsprung Group owned manufacturer.

Mattress brand Emma is selling its products through John Lewis & Partners after agreeing a tie-up with the department store chain across selected shops and online.

MattressMakingHealthcare Europe
Sales continued to build for Mlily.
Output continued to ramp up for the company behind the Mlily mattress and pillow brand in the first half of 2019 despite growth slowing in the second three months of that period.

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Dura Beds' West Yorkshire factory.
Batley mattress maker Dura Beds returned to growth in 2017–18 and says investment at its West Yorkshire plant will result in a further build out in sales.

Customers of prestige British bed maker Savoir can buy certain products online from the company for the first time after it added transactional functionality to its website.

Lancashire manufacturer Burgess Beds appointed from within the bed trade when hiring its new managing director earlier this summer.

Britain's biggest bed maker Silentnight will today open a fourth retail brand showroom with a new unit at one of the biggest shopping destinations in the South West of England.

Keen & Able, the two-man home delivery company that specialises in beds, will this autumn add a fourth U.K. depot and a first in Scotland.

Department store retailer John Lewis & Partners has agreed to sell Casper products in its stores and online in the first U.K. retail partnership secured by the American mattress company.

The highest factory gate mattress inflation for nearly three years was the principal reason furniture producer price inflation ticked up in July, according to new Government figures.

mattressFilling
Weak end to the first half for mattress imports.
Mattress imports into the U.K. are barely above year-earlier levels at the half-year stage, threatening a first full year drop in the category for six years.

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Sleepeezee is in line to reverse a 2018 top line decline this year.
The CEO of Sleepeezee says sales are tracking well ahead of 2018 as it annualises the announcement of the heritage British bed maker's owner plan to invest heavily in the business.

Eve Sleep says it is in "very early stage discussions" to acquire its rival Simba in a deal that would consolidate the direct-to-consumer mattress market.

Sales fell for the second straight year at East of England beds manufacturer Mansion House Bedding Group in 2018–19 but it hopes to reverse that this year with a strengthened sales team.

mattressRecyclingNBF
An estimated 1.75 million of over 8 million mattresses disposed of in 2018 escaped landfill.
The bed industry's efforts to reduce the amount of end-of-life mattresses ending up in landfill is paying off with recycling numbers having doubled in the past four years, new research suggests.

SilentnightHQ
Silentnight is headquartered at Barnoldswick.
Silentnight Group, Britain's largest beds manufacturer and a key bellwether for the sector, posted lower sales and profits in 2018–19. It remained cash generative and cleared the last of its shareholder debt.



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